Federal Funding Freezes and Staff Layoffs Stall Crucial SYRCL Work

In recent weeks, SYRCL has paid close attention to the massive federal government layoffs and funding freezes enacted for public land management agencies across the nation. These actions have been abruptly enforced without due consideration of the far-reaching repercussions to land management, restoration work, and fire resilience projects across the country.

With the recent cuts, the US Forest Service’s workforce has been reduced by approximately 10% (an estimated 3,400 jobs), and it is unclear if there are more reductions coming. Though public safety employees and firefighting staff have been excluded from the layoffs, other crucial positions across the Forest Service and other federal agencies that contribute to wildfire prevention have been significantly reduced. All arms of public agency work—including projects involving non-federal partners—are expected to be impacted by these reductions in capacity.

Through SYRCL’s extensive work on public lands across the watershed, we have developed strong partnerships with various federal agencies to the great benefit of our community and watershed. With the capacity reduction in these agencies, our ability to pursue restoration projects and work on the landscape has the potential to decline drastically.

North Yuba Underburn on 10/23 — photo courtesy of Tahoe National Forest

In addition to layoffs, indefinite “freezes” on large buckets of federal funding have caused severe disruptions to important restoration work. Large swaths of frozen funds have become inaccessible overnight, with little explanation of when or if they will be reinstated. SYRCL is a collaborative partner on many projects on public lands, from fire resilience work to sensitive meadow, aspen, and floodplain habitat restoration, and is already being affected by funding freezes and revoked grant programs.

Non-federal, private, and community-based organizations across our watershed and far beyond are feeling immediate repercussions from these executive orders. The Yuba River watershed is home to extensive environmental collaboration, with many federal and non-federal entities working together to plan and implement critical restoration and community projects including hazard mitigation, fuels reduction, and thinning projects in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) zones. In a watershed comprised of approximately 50% National Forest System lands, these collaborations are crucial. Here at SYRCL, and among many of our watershed conservation partners, project interruptions are already unfolding. These interruptions include revoked grants and contracts, stop-work orders, and cancellations of planning efforts for new projects.

Despite these interruptions, SYRCL remains committed to supporting our federal partners across the Yuba River watershed and would like to voice urgent concern over these cuts to public lands management.

We remain committed to our landscapes and our communities, and to increasing community resilience and the pace, scale, and effectiveness of restoration throughout the Yuba. We understand firsthand the complexities of work on public lands, and the highly integrated and multifaceted nature of federal funding. We continue to contribute to the growing national conversation around public lands management and capacity reductions and call on SYRCL supporters to join us in learning more and sharing your voice. Our public lands are ours to enjoy and to protect, and we must unite around our shared desire for these lands to flourish. Now is the time to act and make your voice heard!

Outdoor Alliance: Ask Lawmakers to Reverse Staffing Cuts at Land Management Agencies

RESOURCES PAGE: Learn More and Make Your Voice Heard

SYRCL is doing all we can to support our local and regional partners through these rapid changes, and we ask that those who live, work, and recreate in the Yuba River watershed join us in extending our support.

You can join us! Get informed and learn more about how these federal decisions for public lands management will affect all of us, and the lands we love, for the foreseeable future.

Reach out to your local representatives and tell them what these budget cuts mean to you and the lands that you love. Now is the time to act and make your voice heard!